A PLAN

Anika awakens slowly. She must have slept for hours, the first deep sleep she has managed in many weeks. As she gains awareness, she realizes that someone is stroking her hair and singing a song. The *Princess Nekosama* theme song, to be precise.

She opens her eyes with a smile. “Ned, what have you done?” she exclaims. My staff must be going frantic if I’ve been missing all day.

He laughs, “Don’t worry. Merilee has been keeping in touch with them. Fighting them off, really, but the doctor told her to let you rest.”

“I do feel better. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He reached out and touched the covers over her belly. “The babies wanted you to sleep too. Or at least that’s what I imagine. It’s funny. It’s almost like I can hear them in there, singing little baby songs.”

A gasp from behind them. The Princess turns her head and meets Merilee’s eye. A moment later, Merilee drops her gaze and curtsies. Signifying that she will tell no one. Then she leaves, giving them privacy once more.

Ned, oblivious to this interchange, continues talking. ”I’ve been thinking. If you want …. If it’s dangerous for you and the children … Maybe you should run away …”

“Ned ….”

“You could come to my world. Live in my house. I have enough money to support all of us.”

“Ned …”

“I could even … if you don’t want to live with me, I … I’d understand. I could let you have my house and move into an apartment in town.”

“Ned. I can’t. Not right now.” She frowns, thinking. “Even if we hide these children, we cannot leave them unguarded. We will have to hide them in plain sight. Keep them here at the Palace where they will always be under our protection.”

“But how can you do that?”

“There is a small complex of houses within the Palace’s walls where we house political prisoners. Hostages, really. Some of them are quite high-ranking. We will arrange for one of these houses where the children and their caretakers will live.”

Ned’s shoulders drooped for a moment. “I guess you probably have some pretty smart people figuring out how to make it work, huh.” Then a smile, “Are you hungry?”

“Yes. Let’s eat a little. I still haven’t finished my story.”

“Great. I’ll tell Merilee.” He got up and moved away, left leg dragging, as it did now since the knee could no longer bend. “She’s so awesome. You know, she’ll do just about anything I ask her. A guy could get used to that.”

Because he’s talking, Ned doesn’t hear Anika gasp. This is the first time she’s realized the full extent of his injuries. She gets up and hurries into the bathroom before he can see her tearing up again.

It doesn’t take long before they are both seated at the table again. Chef salads on the menu, which Ned enjoys immensely. “These are great! All I had for months on end … it seemed like months anyway, I had no way to tell time …. was watery soup and hard bread. It’s hard not to appreciate every bite after that.”

“Then maybe I should start up my story with how you ended up in that horrible prison?”

“Sure. Although I prefer to think of it as a dungeon. It’ll sound more romantic when I tell it as a story later.”

“Right … romantic. Anyway, once it was leaked that I was pregnant, a lot of people got upset. People who had no right to be. I guess my image was a little more ‘Princess Pure’ than I wanted it to be. Some of my fans took offense that someone had violated that purity. Since I couldn’t admit who my lover was, they assumed it was you. How they found you, I don’t know, but they did and that led them to kidnap you and the rest you pretty much know.”

“Kinda. I didn’t really ever understand why I was there. They asked a lot of questions but I couldn’t understand more than a few words. After awhile I stopped wondering. So how did you find out about me in the end?”

“It was a woman named Glenelda. I guess she spent some time in prison with you?”

“Yeah! Glenelda! Nice girl. Taught me how to speak Imperial. I owe her a lot.”

Anika laughs, “Apparently she has a passion for telling ‘romantic’ stories too. She included your name and description, so when I heard about it, I thought it might be you. I sent a team to retrieve you.”

“Well, thanks for that! I'm certainly glad to be out of there. I wish I could thank Glenelda as well.”

“I will see that she is sufficiently rewarded. And that she receives your thanks.”

“Cool. So what now?”

“You should rest. I have to go, but will come back to see you again tomorrow.. Thank you for taking care of me today.”

“You’re always welcome, Marthe…”

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“Anika!”

“Anika.” Seeing his shy smile makes her happy for a moment. She gets up and leaves the room without another word.

ANIKA: A FATHER FOR MY CHILDREN

The Emperor sits silently, chin resting on his left fist. His wayward daughter watches silently as he ponders her proposal.

Finally, he says, “Do you think he would agree? He owes us nothing, nor is he one of our subjects. From his point of view it can only appear that we owe him. Why would he agree? What benefit would he see?”

“Father. He is a good man, but lonely. He currently lives alone with very little human interaction. In truth, his living circumstances would change very little. Even with the children to raise, he would not be overburdened. There will be others there: nannies, maids, gardeners, guards. People for him to interact with. He would not see himself as above them. That is not the way his world works.”

“What you list is just a change in circumstance. It is not a benefit to him.”

“If I ask him to, he will do it.”

“That is hardly fair to him. He should feel rewarded, not used.”

“I think I know what his price is. He values knowledge above all. Especially of languages. Also, I think he would enjoy learning magic. Especially for healing. Magic does not exist in his world, although it does work there. He would be a powerful magician if trained.”

“And you trust him. Someone you met such a short time ago?”

“That is exactly why I trust him. I came out of nowhere, a stranger, and he gave me succor. Everything I needed to be healed, even though it caused him great pain. And he asked for nothing in return. Even now, after being tortured for months, he casts no blame and asks for nothing from me.”

“Maybe he is love-struck? He would not be the first to fall for you. What if his price is you? What will you do then?”

“He would never ask. Even if that were so. But if that is what he needed, if that would lead my children to happiness, then I would give him myself. And I would be happy to do so.”

“Hmmph!” The Emperor pondered some more. “Very well. I give you permission to ask this of him. And work out the details but remember that secrecy is paramount.”

“Very well, Father.” She turned to leave but was stopped by a hard voice.

“It must be his choice, daughter. And remember that you will have no involvement with him or your children. I understand that he is not the father, but he will become their father. And they will have no mother.”

ANIKA: THE PROPOSITION

Anika stands outside the door, hands balled up into fists, trying to gather her courage. It doesn’t seem fair that, as a warrior who has survived dozens of battlefields, she should feel intimidated by a small, physically broken man like Ned. But that’s it in a nutshell. This isn’t a battlefield, it’s a negotiation. Easily the most critical negotiation of her life.

Taking a deep breath, she nods to the guard to open the door and steps through.

“Good morning, Martheli…”

“Anika!”

“…Anika.”

“Good morning, Ned. Did you sleep well?”

“Oh yeah. This bed is awesome. Do you want some breakfast? Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m fine. Looking forward to the delivery, though. I ate already. Have you finished?”

“Yes. Team Merilee did an awesome job, as usual. I was able to eat a little more today than yesterday.”

Anika smiled at this and went to sit down next to him on the couch. Merilee brought Ned a fresh cup of tea, as well as a bottle of chilled lemon water for the Princess. Then she made herself scarce.

They sat for awhile in silence. A habit they had developed during their time together on Earth.

“Why are you so good at speaking Imperial?” asks Anika, breaking the silence at last.

“Oh, from Glenelda mostly. She’s quite a talker. Lots of good stories. And a good teacher, too, if you can keep her focused. Plus I’m fluent in a dozen languages and have studied a dozen more. I’m almost a professional at language learning by this point.”

“Would you like to learn more of the languages of this world?”

“Oh, of course! That would be awesome. Merilee has taught me a little bit of another language she knows, already.”

“Really?”

“Yep. And I made her teach me how to brew tea, as well. Do you know that each different kind of tea requires a different brewing procedure?”

“I guess? Maybe?” They lapse into silence again.

Finally, Ned breaks the silence this time. “How can I help you Mar …. Anika?”

She hesitates. Unsure how to start.

“Anika. Whatever you need, I’ll be glad to help. Just tell me.”

“I want you to raise my children,” she blurted out in a rush.

Ned is silent for a moment. “I admit, I wasn’t quite expecting that one.” Another long pause. “I’m not sure I can. I’ve never raised a child before. And I’m not …. whole …. anymore.” He says, raising his left hand up for emphasis.

She reaches out and takes that hand in both of hers. Holds it against her swollen belly. “You would have help. Nannies, maids, a gardener, whatever you need.”

“If you have all of them, why do you need me?”

“You know. I know you know.”

Silence again.

“It’s because we are already connected. Somehow, we are connected.”

“Yes. I think because you gave them some of your life force. They recognize you and you recognize them. In a way, you are more their father already than their biological father could ever have been.”

“But connection isn’t what you want, is it?”

“No.”

“Children need love.”

“Yes, Ned, children need love. I want my children to have love.” She struggles to control her emotions but a single tear escapes and runs down to her chin. She wipes it away impatiently. “Would you be willing to love my children Ned? Love them for me?”

He is silent for awhile, thinking.

“I’ll give you anything.” she whispers. “Anything in my power.”

He whispers back to her, “Anika. I already love them. You don’t have to give me anything.”

She cries, then. And he does too.